U.S. District Judge John D. Bates ruled on Friday that a petition filed by Rep. Lacy Clay (D-MO) to force the return of a controversial painting to the halls of the United States Capitol could not move forward.

The painting in question, which depicted police officers as pigs, had been hung by Rep. Clay in the halls of the Capitol Building after declaring it his district's winner of a congressional art competition.

Members of congress who found the artwork objectionable forcibly removed the painting from the wall and returned it to Clay's office.

After a back and forth between opponents and proponents of the painting, the Architect of the Capitol ruled that it violated the standards of allowable artwork and was permanently removed.

-SUPPORTINGCOPS.ORG

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